Nina and Naruto: No One's Brighter Than You
by CensoredSecret
Summary: Nina OC is your average teenage kunoichi--or is she? As the story unfolds, Naruto and Team Seven discover her hidden past. But is it really the truth? NOT A LOVE STORY!
1. Chapter 1 Welcome To Konoha

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

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**C H A P T E R O N E**

|Welcome To Konoha|

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We had been walking for who-knows-how-many hours. My shoes were now filled with uncomfortable gravel and blades of grass due to the tiresome walk. I looked up, expecting to find a tree, or maybe another hill to climb over.

Only when I looked up, I found the slightly rusted gates of the Leaf. Anticipation filled within me, and I never would think of how this one village would change my life.

"Mom, Dad! Look, it's the gates to the Leaf Village!" I replied, pointing a finger towards the large opening in the protecting walls.

"So we're finally here!" Ayu, the one I know as my mother, laughed in a weary tone.

"Took us long enough…" Kitski, the one I know as my father, grumbled. He was considerably tired from the never-ending walk through Konohagakure. The guard noticed us before we walked through.

"Well, good evening, strangers." He greeted us.

"Yes, good evening. We are travelers that have come back to see their home-village from an extremely long trip…" Dad stated, rather irritated with the man. The guard nodded, asking for identification.

Since the only thing Dad had on him was his old Leaf headband, that was what he showed the guard. He let us through the tall gates, approving the forehead-protector.

Dad strolled into the large village, Mom and I following not too far behind.

We made our way through the crowded walk-ways, passing many familiar shops, and new faces. My parents, having lived here for countless years, were oh-so-familiar with the winding roads.

I, their only child, had only lived here for two years, so I stared at the tall buildings and colorful shops that were squeezed in--how exactly, I do not know.

After a few minutes, I'd guess five; we arrived at the leader's office, better known as the Hokage. Dad walked in, and we followed soon after. Mom and I waited another five minutes in the waiting room.

Mom was having a nice chat with the lady at the desk, while I dumped the what-not in my shoes outside. When I re-entered, Dad came out of the Hokage's main office, rubbing his hands together at the thought of a bed.

"Alright, the Hokage will let us live in the guest room in the office until an Inn opens up with a room, or a visiting family moves out of a rental home. Apparently, the Sakura Festival is in a few weeks and seeing everyone wants to go…" Dad trailed on, not caring to finish his sentence.

Mom clapped her hands together, "Since we have a place to rest, I suggest we get some! Off to bed, Nina, you have school in the morning."

"Hai…" I yawned slightly, walking down the hallway. Dad yelled down the hall,

"Your Mom and I will be out in the morning, so don't panic if you can't find us before noon tomorrow!"

"Good night, Dad!" I called back, joking slightly. I opened the door to the guest room, finding two beds and a rather large window. I threw my overly packed bag I'd been carrying for… too many hours to count… on the bed.

I bent back, stretching my arms. I dug through my bag, taking my pajamas and clothes for the next day out. I peered out the window, smiling at the view of the cliff.

It had been carved into the four Hokages that had been, and died, saving many in their time.

I turned, finished changing into pajamas and fell onto the bed.

---

"Why didn't anyone tell me the clocks are half an hour slow?!" I cried, running through the office and blasting out the door. I pushed through crowds, almost tipping over some fruit stands.

"Watch where you're going!" A man yelled throwing an apple at me. I caught it with ease, and sped off to the building that had the big words "Ninja Academy" written on it, taking a bite. It was at least half a mile away, it seemed, so I walking up a handy little two by four that was propped up on the roof of a building. I had five minutes to spare, so taking a short cut and jumping on roof tops would save me some time.

An orange figure appeared up ahead, and I squinted to see what it was. It stood up and faced me, revealing it was boy.

"Hey, slow down there!" He called, backing up cautiously. I spun around him before making contact. I still spun around dizzily, slowly making my way to the edge of the roof, which led to a five foot drop to the ground.

"I would stop if I were you!" He warned, trying to catch my sleeve before I fell. Sadly, I was out of reach, and I fell back. Quickly drawing chakra to my feet, I stopped my fall, sticking to the wall.

"Whoa…" He muttered under his breath. I gulped myself, hastily clicking my mind on topic.

"Okay, time to go!" I said, a little louder than usual. I flipped back onto the roof and turned on my heel, running off in the direction of the Academy.

"Wait, where are you headed?" He asked, catching up to me.

"The Ninja Academy! And, boy, I'm going to be late!" I answered, jumping to another roof.

"Same here!" He stated, "I'm Uzumaki, Naruto; the next Hokage! Believe it!"

I laughed slightly, "Nina Umari, at your service!" I stuck out my hand, asking to shake. He took my hand firmly shaking it.

"Nice to know someone in detention with me!" He joked, "Hey, how'd you do that fancy trick back there?"

"We Umari have unimaginable chakra control." I boasted, "But, than again, the mind does wonder."

***

"This place… is rather large…" I stated gazing wide eyed at the building from the outside, still running. We sped through the training room, and to the class room.

I kicked the door open, totally disturbing the class. Luckily, the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Only the students stared at Naruto and me. I smiled, scratching the back of my head. They continued their tasks, which was mostly socializing.

"Great way to make an impression, Umari…" A voice commented. I looked over to where the voice had sounded. A familiar raven caught my eye, waving slightly.

"Sasuke?" I questioned, grabbing the unwanted attention of all the girls in the room. I blinked, watching them all crowd around the mentioned boy. A moment passed before I doubled over in laughter.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"I can't believe it! He has a _fan club_!" I managed to say, regaining my composure.

I disappeared, reappearing next to Sasuke; sitting crisscross on the desk.

"I knew you looked familiar, Umari…" He said, leaning back in his chair.

"What's with the last name, _Uchiha_?" I mimicked, laughing.

"Get away from Sasuke-kun!" A girl yelled in my ear. I pushed her away, cleaning my ear out with my pinky.

"Scratch that, what's with the nickname, _Sasuke-kun_?" I asked, ignoring the screaming girls in the background.

"They never stop calling me that." He sighed, irritated.

"If I chose, I'd say a good nickname for you is _Sasu-chan*_!" I smiled at my remark.

"_Sasu-chan_?!" He fumed, "I'll stick to Sasuke-kun, thank you!"

"Too late," I sang, "It's your new nickname, now!"

"Joy to the world." He said, sarcastically. A ruler was tapped on the front desk, and all the students scurried to their seats. I remained in my seat--Indian style on a desk--not knowing what to do. The man at the teacher's desk looked at me confused.

"Are you new here?" He asked.

"Yeah, um… one second…" I answered, disappearing once again, and reappearing next to the teacher. He jumped, like many of the other students in the room.

"Little skilled for an Academy Student," He mumbled under his breath.

"That's what my Dad says." I whispered to him, catching him off guard.

"Go ahead, introduce yourself." He regained his composure. I smiled, looking back at the students.

"Umari, Nina at your service!" I smiled.

"Alright, class, feel free to ask questions and get to know her." The teacher said like he recited it every day. "Nina, you can call me Iruka-sensei*." Hands shot up as Iruka walked over to his desk. I looked around, picking at random. Let the questions begin.

"How'd you disappear like that?!" One asked staring wide eyed.

"Practice." I answered, picking another.

"Who do you know in here?" Another asked, casually.

"I met Naruto on the way, and I know Sasuke from a couple years ago." I informed, as many other hands were raised.

"What village are you from?" A pink haired girl asked, getting my attention.

"Too many to count, but originally, I'm from here!" I said, spreading my arms out, motioning all around me.

"Why did you ever leave?" She asked. I stopped there, trying to make something up. "Well?"

"My parents thought I should see the sites, and to stare danger in the face. So they took me all over!" I lied partially; I didn't tell her the _whole_ reason.

"Alright, children, we have a schedule to go by. Line up at the front of the room after lunch." Iruka ordered.

***

"Okay, you did great. Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka called after talking to the Academy instructor, Mizuki. That was my cue.

"Alright! Here I go!" I yelled, trying to sound like Naruto, seeing that I looked exactly like him. I placed my hands in the basic hand seal.

"Transformation Jutsu!" I yelled.

~POOF~

"…Naruto, you didn't do anything…" Sakura said, "You just 'poofed'…" I smiled; it was going exactly as planned.

"Well that's because I'm not Naruto!" I stated, transforming again into Nina. Mizuki, looking amused, leaned back on his chair.

"No, you are Naruto Uzumaki. You're just playing a trick." Iruka said, confident.

"You look different, see. There's the real Nina Umari, over there. Your shirt is on backwards!"

"Yeah, but I'm Naruto! That Nina is a fake one, as well as I!" The other Nina yelled. I poofed into the real me, and the other Nina poofed into Naruto.

~POOF~

~POOF~

~POOF~

~POOF~

…

~POOF~

~POOF~

~POOF~

"Well then…" Iruka stared, scratching the back of his neck. "This… Is confusing…"

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**N/A**

Okay, so I am the infamous Nina Umari. I wrote this back in sixth grade, so don't judge me too hard! Originally, I only posted this on Quizilla, but I have expanded my horizon, and I finally decided to upload it on here!

It was originally in script form, so I _lots _of editing to do...

I love reviews, so keep them coming! Next chapter will be up and running very soon!


	2. Chapter 2 Secrets of the Kyuubi

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

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**A/N:**

I forgot to mention I have 58 ½ chapters so far, and at the 50th-or-so chapter I changed the writing format…

You have a lot to read, my fans!

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**C H A P T E R - T W O**

|Secrets of the Kyuubi|

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Iruka looked around, a little surprised, a little overwhelmed, and maybe a little scared.

"That's… a lot of clones…" The pink haired girl, which I had learned was Sakura, stated. I stifled a laugh, remembering when Naruto told me during lunch that he was horrible at clones and transformation.

--Flashback--

"I've been training every day, and I'm terrible at those transformation jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling out his hair. "And clones—don't even ask!"

I eyed him sadly, wanting to help… Then, something popped into my head.

"Hey, I've got an idea…" I whispered, looking around the table. Since nobody other then us was there, I continued. "If we help each other, we can both pass." That got his attention; he looked me in my eye.

"Alright…" He said, "I'm listening…"

"If we both pitch in and transform into each other, we can fake it and take the other's exam." I explained quietly.

"But I just told you I can't do those jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed. "So I pass and you fail!"

"Yeah, I go before you…" I whispered, placing my hands behind my head. "I'll turn you into a fake Nina and vis versa. I'll mess up first, then claim I'm actually Nina—then transform into fake Nina; let's say I'll make the shirt backwards. Then Iruka-sensei will use you as an example on how I have something wrong with me…" He nodded.

"And then what?"

"Then, you claim you're a fake Nina and really Naruto. We turn into our real selves, and we pass!" I clapped happily.

"But what about the cone jutsu?" He pointed out. My enthusiasm dropped.

"Oh, yeah…" I sighed. "Forgot about that…"

"Well, how about when we change back, we make lots of clones to get them confused!" He suggested, snapping his fingers.

"Yeah, but you can't do the clone jutsu, you said so yourself…" I reminded him. Now his enthusiasm dropped.

"Oh, yeah…"

"Hey, I could just make clones that look like you!" I replied, jumping up.

"Yeah, that'd work fine!" He smiled, soon fading into a frown. "But what if they figure it out that I didn't make the clones?"

"Plan B!" I grinned, patting on his head. "You try."

--End of Flashback--

I smiled wider when Iruka started freaking out. Naruto and I high fived, seeing that we totally mixed up his day.

"Teacher!" Sakura's hand shot up. "Look, Naruto's clones aren't right!" I looked at her hard, staring holes into the back of her head.

"I hate to say…" Someone spoke up. "Sakura's right… They aren't the same..." I shifted my glare towards the voice to see Sasuke's Sharingon. "Plus… They're Nina's clones…"

I cursed under my breath, and elbowed Naruto. He tried to make a clone—but sadly, he failed. The class broke out laughing. He tried again, and again, and again. I helped with the last one and the class went silent.

"Naruto, you're such a loser; letting a girl help you cheat…" Sasuke put in.

"That's it!" Iruka exclaimed. "Naruto, Nina, detention."

* * *

After a harsh lecture about cheating from Iruka, we were told to stay another hour. I sat back in the chair, my feet on the desk, and my hands behind my head. Naruto, on the other hand, was practically beating him self up.

I watched the clock intently as Naruto muttered inaudible sentences to himself, and I probably didn't want to know what he was saying. The rhythm of the clock's ticking echoed in my head. I dilated my eyes, going in a trance.

The classroom door slid open, bringing me back to reality. Iruka stepped in—an undecided look settling across his features.

"You two helped each other greatly today," He started, his eyes flickering from Naruto to me. "But you still technically passed the test…"

My eyes brightened, like Naruto's, as we listened quietly. "And it has come to my attention…"

"That you are both fine ninja… You may need some help with jutsu, Naruto, but you will grasp it in the end. As long as Nina is there to help you, I think you'll be just fine."

"So what does that mean?" I inquired curiously, tilting my head to the side. "Did we pass?"

"Yes," He smiled, crinkling his nose where the scar he sported was. "But you will be placed on the same team no matter what."

Naruto's POV

"Really?!" I grinned, looking back to Nina, whose face mirrored mine.

"We passed," She squealed, hugging me tight as she jumped excitedly up and down. I laughed and bounced with her, just as happy as she.

'_So this means…' _I thought, _'I probably have to tell her… About Kyuubi…'_

* * *

"Naruto!" She laughed, "Naruto, where are we going?!"

"Just wait, and keep your eyes closed!" I replied, dragging her behind me as I made my way up the Hokage Faces.

Why? Because it was the most secret place I could find. And it was a beautiful view at this time of day.

"Ah!" She yelled, stumbling as I tripped—too preoccupied with my thoughts to focus on my feet. "Careful!"

"Gomen!"

Finally, we'd made it—in one piece, luckily—to the top of the monument. I stood the fellow blonde so that she'd see the view of Konoha.

"Alright…" I murmured, crossing my fingers for good luck, "Open your eyes."

And she did as she was told.

Nina's POV

Opening my eyes, I gasped. I was looking out over Konoha, the sun just below the horizon—blending the sky into shades of pinks and oranges. The town beneath us was shaded with the colors, and it was so beautiful.

I turned around, facing a worried looking Naruto. His face was highlighted like the town behind me, causing me to glance at his whisker marks.

"Why did you bring me here?" I questioned, curious blue eyes looking deep into his worried ones.

"I have to tell you something… And it's pretty hard to talk about…" He bit his lip, breaking eye contact briefly. "You know about Kyuubi… Right?"

I tensed unconsciously, my mouth going dry as I nodded hesitantly. He took a deep breath, looking me in the eyes finally.

"When I was born… I was the sacrifice..." He managed to get out, bringing a sweaty hand up to his stomach; clenching his jacket there. "I have him sealed inside of me…"

I was frozen—paralyzed, if you will.

"The—The Kyuubi?" I stuttered, tears coming to my eyes. "In y—you?"

He nodded slowly, watching me carefully. "Are you scared?" I shook my head;

"No… I'm not… _Scared_, per se…" I hesitated, "I'm shocked… And I… I…"

I fell to my knees, tears falling as I sobbed. Naruto rushed to my aid, trying to calm me.

"K—Kyuubi killed my w—whole clan," I choked out, sucking in air in between sobs, "And my parents and I are th—the only ones le—left!"

I shook my head violently, climbing to my feet I backed away from Naruto.

"I need to go…" I wiped the tears away. "I don't fear you, Naruto—I just—"

I yelled out frustrated, spinning around and jumping off the cliff. Naruto shouted out at me as I fell, but I didn't do anything to respond.

The wind flew through my hair violently, and I just let myself drop. Newly shed tears blinded me, and I flipped over to face the ground.

I spun around rapidly, slowing after a moment, and I flipped once more a few seconds before I hit the ground.

I broke out running, going straight to the Hokage's office. I couldn't handle Naruto right now… It was too much…

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**A/N:**

Forgive me—these beginning chapters are so short! At least I update pretty quick—right?


	3. Chapter 3 Death In the Family

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**A/N:**

You guys gotta tell me what's wrong with how I write—so that I can improve! Review!

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**C H A P T E R T H R E E**

|Death in the Family|

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Naruto's POV

Anger boiling over, I punched the rocks behind me; ignoring the pain it brought me.

'_She totally freaked!' _I yelled in my head, sliding down to a crouch. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to hold the tears back.

'_Calm down, Naruto…'_ I soothed myself, _'You can get through this—just give her some space…'_

A few deep, staggering breaths later, I had a good grip on my emotions. I noticed the odd position I was in, laughing after figuring what it looked like.

'_I'm in my emo corner…" _I shook my head, standing. Another deep breath, and I was headed back home.

Nina's POV

I could see the Kyuubi, picturing it's bloodlust filled eyes, a twisted grin stretching it's lips back; crude fangs scissoring together as it laughed a gravely, slurred cackle.

Shaking my head as if I could knock the picture out of my mind, I let out another frustrated yell.

I bit my lips, running past various trees as I made my way back to the village, stopping when I got there. The streets were filled with life, unlike many years ago when I'd left the village with my parents.

After the Kyuubi attack.

_Blood, fire, death—it was everywhere. Buildings were being destroyed, the monster towering over us all cackling evilly. I was terrified, but that didn't stop my Mom and Dad._

_They jumped in, activating all kinds of jutsu, attacking over and over again with fellow shinobi._

_Tears caressed my cheeks, falling to the burnt ground. My mother noticed me crying, and she rushed over and crouched to my eye level, looking me dead in the eyes._

"_Run, Nina," She told me, "You have to get out of here!"_

_The building above us started giving out, and Ayu flung herself at me. She ran out the crumbling door, placing me back on the ground once we were safe. We both watched the supports collasped on top of itself, the concrete disintergrating and the wood splintering as the building fell. Dust and debris were floating in the air, causing me to cough._

_She faced me again, grasping my shoulders tightly._

"_Listen to me," She demanded, "Don't worry about us—we can handle this! You need to make sure you're safe!"_

_I nodded, hugging her one last time before I started running. I didn't know where I was headed, but it was somewhere other than where I was._

I snapped out of it, brushing away unwanted tears, and I started running again, dodging crowds of people. They were all packing up their things, seeing as it was near time for dinner.

My ankle was a little jammed from my landing, but I ignored it as I made my way into the Hokage's office.

I looked around, and walked to the lady at the desk. She was jotting down some notes, referring to some files. Small, fine kanji was scribbled on the front of the file, but it was at an angel that was hard to read from.

I cleared my throat, effectively getting her attention.

"Are my parents here?" I asked, azure eyes searching her hazel ones. She shook her head hesitantly, setting the pen down.

"No, a family left the house for rent down the block, so Mr. and Mrs. Umari moved their stuff down there." She answered, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"They said that you'd probably come," She added, "They're in the house at the edge of the block on the left."

I nodded, thanking her as I bolted out the door, swinging myself around towards the mentioned house.

I eyed the one I thought was ours, and I ran up to it and slid the door open. Mom was by the stove making some dumplings while Dad studied the newspaper.

I removed my ninja shoes quietly, trying my hardest to swallow the lump in my throat, and placed them by the other pairs next to the door.

"Ayu, apparently I was wrong about the Sakura Festival…" Kitski stated, "We just missed it… It was last week."

"Aw, and I really wanted to go," She pouted, looking over her shoulder, smiling once she spotted me, "Ah, Nina, so you found us! I was starting ot worry when it got so late, but your father told me you'd make it."

I nodded, failing to keep my emotions in check as tears pooled over in my eyes. Ayu turned of the stove, rushing over to me.

"Are you alright, honey?" She grasped my shoulders, rubbing my arms soothingly. Kitski set the paper down on the low table, unfolding his legs from his position on his cusion and walked over.

"Nina-chan?" He looked worried, watching the tears fall as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "Tell me what's wrong…"

I started shaking from my sobs, collapsing to my knees, bringing them both down with me.

"My friend… Naruto…" I choked out, "He told me a secret… About himself…"

My parents waited patiently while I breathed, holding in the sobs.

"He… Has Kyuubi… Sealed inside of him…" I swallowed thickly as I wiped at my eyes. "And I couldn't handle it…"

They were silent. "Maybe we should've told you sooner…" Ayu started.

"We knew that a boy named Naruto lived here, and that he had the Kyuubi sealed inside of him," Kitski finished for her, "But we didn't think we'd need to tell you."

I nodded, "It's not your fault…" I assured them, "_I_ wasn't prepared for it, and I feel horrible…"

"Don't blame yourself, honey," Mom cooed, rubbing her delicate hands up and down my back. "It's no one's fault…"

"But... He probably hates me…" I thought, blinking away stray tears. "And we were going to be team mates, and I helped him, and he was my first actual friend here…"

"Honey, stop your babbling… He won't hate you, and you two can still be friends." Kitski said, lifting my chin up to look him in the eyes. "Do you feel better, now? No more tears?"

He released me when I nodded, sniffling as I stood up with them.

"Well, we should get started on dinner," Mom put in, going over to fetch the dumplings from the cooling stove. I went over to the cabinet in the kitchen, getting the chopsticks and plates to set for the meal.

"What the—" My dad was cut off, and I turned around, my eyes widening at what I saw.

"I—Itachi?!" I gasped, watching as he cut my father down with his katana.

Naruto's POV

"I should give her some time, but…" I bit my lip, wondering what she was thinking about me. "She probably hates me…"

I was on my way home, passing the Hokage's tower right when a scream sounded through the streets.

"Was that—" I looked around, another scream was heard. "That's Nina!"

Following the screams, I jumped over a cart, and went tearing through crowds, making my way towards the sound.

"Stop! No!" She screeched, and I found myself at a rental house. I went for the door, but it was blocked shut.

"Nina!" I shouted, banging on the door. "Nina, open the door!"

"Naruto—no!"

Itachi's POV

"What are you doing!" The blonde kunoichi screamed, "Stop!"

Both Ayu and Kitski Umari were dead, blood seeping out to the floor from their lifeless bodies. It pooled, spreading out until it reached Nina's feet.

"_Nina! What's happening?!"_ The boy outside was yelling, but I pointedly ignored his efforts.

I looked back up at her, black orbs spinning in my crimson eyes and forming a shuriken-like form; the Mangekyou activated. She breathed in sharply, looking deep into them before dropping to the floor.

She wasn't unconscious though. I forgot about… _That_…

"You're here to kill us…" She murmured, a distant look in her eyes as she looked past me—as if I was never there.

"_Nina!" _The boy shouted again, now kicking the door.

I didn't respond, gripping the katana in my hand tighter. I saw her sapphire eyes flash red—_she_ was still there.

"Get on with it, then," She hissed, eyes narrowing. "Kill me."

"No." I answered firmly, my voice deep and unwavering. "I can't kill you."

Blood colored eyes flashed up to mine—a dangerous glint in them. "Why not, it's your orders, is it not?"

I pursed my lips, sheathing my katana. "It is, but I cannot kill you." A smirk played her lips, and she pulled out a kunai from her weapon pouch.

I studied her eyes, searching them for an answer to my silent question. "I'll just have to finish the job, then."

"_Open the door!" _He shouted, _"Nina!"_

She brought the kunai to her throat, ready to slice through the pale skin. I slapped the knife from her hands, causing the kunai to fly from her grasp and across the room.

It cut her cheek, though, I noticed. She glared, growling, "Pein wants me dead; let me die."

"He won't be happy if I don't kill you, but if you aren't able to leak information, he'll be satisfied." I murmured, locking my emotionless eyes with her fiery ones. "We've missed you ever since you left." She didn't respond, but her eyes softened slightly.

"Forgive my actions, Nina."

I hit her neck, pressing a pressure point to knock her out. At that split second, her eye returned to their original blue. "Weasel-kun—" She managed, falling unconscious.

Naruto's POV

My foot broke through the door, and I was able to kick through. Managing my way into the house, I looked around, searching hastily for Nina. I ran to the middle of the kitchen, then gasped, falling to the floor.

"What the…" I breathed, crawling backwards as I tried to put a distance between my and them--until I hit a wall--my azure eyes narrowed in fear, "What happened?"

I'd found Nina's parents, sprawled out on the floor of the kitchen, pools of crimson seeping out from their fatal wounds. Their skin was growing deathly pale, both of their chest unmoving—they weren't breathing; they were dead.

I held in the urge to scream, scrambling to my feet. Nina was my target, I couldn't help them anymore--it was too late to save them.

I heard footsteps from the second floor, and I rushed up the stairs; where I found a man clad in a black cloak with red clouds. Over his shoulder was an unconscious Nina, her mouth taped with bounded hands and feet.

"Hey!" I shouted, "Give her back!"

He swerved around, jumping out of the window. Everything seemed as if it were in slow motion. Nina's eyes opened, and they looked sad—lonely—_dead_.

Her life was ruined.

* * *

**A/N:**

So much drama! Wow…

Like I said, you guys gotta tell me what's wrong with how I write—so that I can improve! Review!


	4. Chapter 4 Team Seven

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**C H A P T E R F O U R**

|Team Seven|

* * *

It took me a moment to react, but I was out the window before you could blink. In attempt to injure the kidnapper, I threw a couple shiriken at him. He blocked them with a kunai with ease, and I cursed under my breath.

Nina started to move again, and she kneed the man in the back a few times, pounding his chest with her bound hands. Her attempts were no use, but I tried to kick him, which he blocked.

But it did jostle Nina enough for her to get away from Itachi. Mind you, we were all still in mid air, but Nina seamed to have forgotten; her back facing the earth.

"Nina!" I reached for her, but by then she'd hit the ground.

_Thwump._

I landed on my feet, although it hurt pretty bad; the jarring impact traveled from my heels all the way up my legs and back—I cursed rather loudly that time.

Despite the pain, I tried my hardest to get to Nina before that man did. I was a yard or so away before he appeared in front of me, blocking my way to the unconscious kunoichi.

I yelled out in frustration, tossing out a couple shiriken, along with kunai. He seemingly plucked each one out of the air and threw them back at me, cutting my arm and leg here and there—but it was a shallow wound.

I ran up to him, throwing punches and kicks, all to no avail. He just dodged everything I threw at him.

"What do you want?!" I all but yelled, jumping back a few feet away from him to put a distance between us. He didn't answer. "Who are you?!"

"Itachi Uchiha," He said, his voice deep and emotionless.

"But—" I started, confused from his answer, "The Uchiha clan was wiped out—"

"By me," At this I stopped. This was the murderer that killed off Sasuke's clan. This was his brother.

"Why do you want Nina?!"

"…" He didn't respond this time, he just knelt down to pick her up again.

"Don't touch her!" I shouted, my voice rougher—surprising us both. He looked back up at me, fingers barely brushing over Nina, and then past me. I looked back over my shoulder, seeing a tall man in the shadows.

He looked blue for a second but I couldn't really tell.

"Itachi," He said, appearing by the man suddenly—he was blue, after all. He said something incoherent, and they both disappeared without another word.

I blinked, then ran over to Nina. She was still out cold, the cut on her cheek smeared with drying blood. I picked her up and almost dropped her again, flinching from my minor wounds.

Who knew they could sting so much? Grasping her a little more securely, I trudged forward, trying to get to the hospital.

Nina's POV

_Bleep.. Bleep.. Bleep.._

Sun seeped through the curtains that draped over the window, shinning onto my face directly over my eyes.

'_Oh, come on…'_ I groaned in my head, attempting to roll over onto my side—but a sore pain stopped me.

My eyes shot open, and I yelped, surprised from the sudden pain. I glanced around the room, finding myself in a hospital.

I was dressed in a thin gown that was stenciled with little flowers. The sheets were itchy and stiff, and the whole place practically _breathed_ of disinfectant.

Beside me was Naruto, whose blonde locks were even more disheveled than before, which was saying something. He was in a chair with his head on my bed; cushioned with his arms that were crossed underneath his chin.

It didn't look all too comfortable, but I he seemed to make due with what he had.

It was only six in the morning, seeing as the clock's neon green numbers read 5:52 a.m. I didn't need to stay awake, and I knew I wouldn't be able to—sleep was still fogging up my mind, making my head heavier every moment.

I sighed, letting my cerulean eyes slide close again as I fell back into a deep slumber.

Sakura's POV

When we'd arrived at the academy, they told us we'd be meeting our teacher at the hospital so that Nina and Naruto would be able to meet him, too.

So, Sasuke and I started off towards the hospital, and I wanted desperately to get his attention.

"Did you hear what happened?" I asked him, looking over at him with my emerald eyes. "Some man went to kill Nina's family, and was going to kidnap her. Naruto was able to stop him, surprisingly enough…"

He looked at me in disbelief—or was it shock?

Sasuke's POV

I didn't believe her—some one tried to kidnap Nina? What would anyone want with _her_?

And Naruto; why was he there during all of that? I ignored her futile attempts to impress me, glaring coldly straight ahead.

Sakura and I finally arrived at the hospital, and we found our way up to Nina's room. When we slid the door open, we found Naruto awake and a silver-haired Jonin leaning against the wall, staring at Nina.

He looked to the side, noticing that we'd arrived. He had his forehead protector angled so that it covered his left eye, and I wondered why he had it like that. And what was with the mask?

A small orange book dangled from his gloved hand, and his eye curved up into a smile.

"Good morning," He greeted as we sat, I nodded in response, Sakura smiling and greeted him a little more warmly.

"So… Who are you?" I asked quite rudely, but I didn't pay it any mind.

"Isn't it proper courtesy to state your name before asking for someone else's?" He inquired, tucking his orange book into his weapon bag. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," I stated coldly, glaring at the man, "Who are you?"

"I am Hatake Kakashi," He answered, "You're new sensei. We'll wait for introductions for when Nina here wakes up…"

I swerved my glare over to Nina, watching her breathe short, shallow breathes as she slept on.

"So, what actually happened?" Sakura piped up, looking up at the man. The Jonin picked up the clipboard at the end of her bed, passing it over to the kunoichi.

She handed it to me, and I read silently.

_Name: Nina Umari_

_Condition: Bruise covering whole back_

_Cause: Kidnapped, then during rescue fell from the second floor of a building and landed on back. Kidnapper; Itachi U—_

"_Itachi_," I hissed, darting my angry black eyes up to our new sensei, "Why did he kidnap her?!"

"We don't know," He replied, "Naruto couldn't get him to answer that question."

I looked over to Naruto, eyes still cold, "Why were you there in the first place?"

Sad blue eye met mine, a forlorn look on his face, "I was going home, and I heard her scream. Naturally, I went to help her."

He said nothing more, and went back to staring at her sleeping figure.

"Ahem," Kakashi cleared his throat, getting our attention, "You all are dismissed; we'll be meeting tomorrow at six—Nina needs to sleep. We'll meet on top of the hospital roof for introductions."

"Well, than," I sighed, pushing myself up, "I'll be off, good bye."

And with that I pushed the sliding door open and promptly left.

Kakashi's POV

The pink haired kunoichi—Sakura Haruno, I'd learned—stood also, bowing and tossed out a farewell to Naruto, who waved a little as she left.

I looked back at Nina as the girl closed the door, pushing myself off of the wall.

"Thank you, Naruto," I murmured, "If it weren't for you, she'd be in trouble."

"She still is," She replied, "Her parents are dead, she's got no one…"

"You're wrong," I told him, "She's got you."

I waited for another response, but he said nothing; which confused me—the files said he was an energetic prankster.

"Make sure you eat, Naruto," I reminded him, walking out the door. Something was wrong with him, I knew that for sure, but I didn't pry.

I'd give him some more time, let him figure what ever was bothering him out.

* * *

**A/N:**

Believe me; the chapters _will_ get longer! I'm trying! Really!

Don't forget to review, guys! Reviews fuel my creative flow!


	5. Chapter 5 Introductions

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**C H A P T E R F I V E**

|Introductions|

* * *

Nina

The morning light was—once again—shinning through the window. I wanted _so very much_ for it to go away and die, but the sun just wouldn't obey. So, opening one tired eye after the other, I awoke.

A yawn stretched at my mouth, and I started to murmur a few heated words toward the sun before I noticed Naruto beside me in one of the poorly cushioned chairs by the bed. A sad smile graced his features, his eyes not quite as happy as they were before.

"Naruto…" I breathed, looking at him as if I was the cause of his pains. I probably was, after all I'd put him through. "Did you…" I was going to ask if he'd brought me here, but he nodded before I finished.

The door opened suddenly, revealing Sasuke, the pinky Sakura from class, and a silver-haired Jonin.

"Yo!" I greeted out-of-the-blue, waving half-heartedly. Sasuke glanced at me and gave me a good long gander before diverting his cold stoic eyes away from mine.

"I see you're awake," The Jonin stated, leaning against the wall with an orange book in his gloved hands. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, you're new teacher."

"Awesome, I'm Nina Umari…" I introduced, trying to sit up a little—but stopped, finding it painful, "How long have I been out?"

"It's been two days," Sakura answered, "And you shouldn't move too much; you've bruised your back a lot."

"Whoa, two days," I whistled, "Do we have training?"

"More or less," Kakashi said, "We're supposed to go up to the roof and introduce ourselves but we can do that here—"

"No, let's get going!" I exclaimed, forcing myself off of the bed. I held back the urge to groan and grind my teeth together, gathering my clothes from the table on the other side of the bed.

"What are you—" Sakura started, but I went flying past her before she could finish.

"I'm going to change so I can go out on the roof with you guys," I answered, smiling cheerfully as I ran over to the bathroom. Before I closed the door all the way, I poked my head out, "Gimmy a second or two, I'll be right out."

Sasuke

When she was rushing about the room for her clothes, I'd received an eye full of her back. And I don't think I was the only one to see. I wouldn't show it, but I was utterly shaken from all the bruising I found—how she managed to walk was beyond me.

"Did you see…?" Sakura stood there, eyes wide, "How did she—" Kakashi sighed, pushing off of the wall.

"Just let her be…" He said, walking over to the door to wait, "If she can handle it, we should let her."

Naruto

"Alright!" The bathroom door opened, revealing a dressed Nina. She had something similar to Sakura's dress (or what ever it is), but in orange.

She had black stockings that went down to her blue ninja shoes, where she'd tied her leaf head band. Beneath the upper part of the dress was bandaging, and her arms were covered in fish netting down to her wrists.

I nodded in approval, smiling, "Cool." She placed her hands on her hips, looking at each of us.

"C'mon, what are you guys waiting for?" She exclaimed, latching onto my arm as she dragged me out the door. I started to run to try not to drag my feet, but she was going at full speed.

Once at the stairs, she slowed down, pacing herself at a normal gait. "Naruto," She whispered, "I need you to support me a little…"

I glanced over at her, finally seeing the pain that screwed up her face. I held her arm tighter, trying to give her a little leverage to lessen the stress on her back. She breathed a thanks, hiking up the stairs without stopping.

Before we knew it, we were up on the roof of the hospital, the wind blowing a little harder from the height. The sun was shinning without mercy, lighting up the whole sky. Kakashi was positioned against the railing, reading his trademark book.

"What is that book, anyway?" Nina inquired inwardly, not really expecting an answer. Sakura stepped out from the stairs, Sasuke following suit. I set Nina beside me carefully.

"Now, then," The Jonin began, closing his book and sliding it into his weapons bag. "I want you guys to learn more one another so that we can work better as a team."

Kakashi

After the past few days, I'd gathered that most of these genin didn't think too kindly of their team mates. The blondes, although, seemed quite fond of each other, and I hoped it stayed that way.

"I want you to tell me your names, likes and dislikes, dreams for the future, and hobbies," I continued, "But there are some things I know you'd prefer to keep quiet, so you have the right not to speak about it."

Sakura's hand shot up, and I nodded to her, "Could you go first, to show us?" Sighing wistfully, I adjusted my spot against the railing.

"My name is Hatake, Kakashi. I like many things, as well as dislike. My dreams… I haven't really thought about that… My hobbies are for me to know and for you to never find out." I went through the mental list of questions, placing my hands on the railing at each side of me.

"We only got his name," She grumbled to herself with a pout.

"Alright, now you," I said, crossing my arms as she perked up.

"Well… My name is Haruno, Sakura. I like—I mean _who_ I like is…" She glanced over at Sasuke, blushing as she giggled. "My dreams for the future are—" Glance. Blush. "—and I haven't any real hobbies."

"Hm... What don't you like?" I inquired, raising my eye brow. _'Girls her age are too worried about love…'_

"Naruto!"

"Hey!" Said ninja cried, comical tears streaming down his face.

"Now you, Sasuke," I nodded to him. He had his hands folded together by his chin, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I am Uchiha, Sasuke from the deceased Uchiha clan… I like some things… I dislike a certain someone, and my hobby is more of a purpose—to _kill_ that certain someone," He said dryly, his lips twitching at a scowl, "My dreams… are to restore my clan."

Nina

"Dang, Sasuke," I muttered under my breath, "The years sure haven't been good to you…"

"Interesting…" The Jonin commented, looking over at Naruto. "Your turn."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!" He shouted, "I like—no love ramen, and I hate the three minute wait. My hobby is to eat and compare ramen. My dreams are to become someone! Someone important! Then people will respect me! And I'll become Hokage!"

"Hmm…" He hummed, flicking his visible eye over to me, "Now you, Blondie."

"Okay, the name's Nina Umari! I like practically everything, but I hate some things as well. My hobby is to play guitar—although I haven't in years…" I sighed wistfully at the thought of handling a guitar again. "My dreams… To become the best shinobi ever and following in my Dad's footsteps!"

"What kind of things do you hate?" Kakashi pried, and I glanced up at him before diverting my gaze to my feet. I bit my lip, bringing my hand to my chest and fisting the clothing there.

Naruto

"That's personal…" She answered, clenching her clothing where her heart would be, "Anyway, you said that we didn't have to say everything…" With a long sigh, Kakashi pushed himself off the railing.

"I wish you guys would open up just a tad more," He said, eyeing each of us carefully, "But it's a start… Alright, group, that's it for the day! Meet at the training grounds at six o'clock—and don't eat breakfast."

The slight tension that hung in the air lifted as the group broke apart, everyone anxious about the missions to come and the adventures we'd experience. I was some what disappointed about our first day; I'd pictured going out into the wooded areas beyond the protecting gate of the Leaf, stumbling upon many unwanted foes—myself beating all the rouge ninjas that came in our path, showing my pure awesomeness and impress Sakura-chan with my strength!

"Naruto?" Nina whispered--bringing me back to reality--looking over at me as Sakura started homewards. Sasuke stayed where he was, staring at the ground as if he would catch the rock he glared at on fire.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks again…" She smiled, her eyes sad—but happier than before. "I don't think I'd be here right now if it weren't for you…" Kakashi waltzed over to us, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Nina. Naruto," He acknowledged me, "Quite a nice day, isn't it?"

"Indeed," She agreed, narrowing her azure eyes, "Quite."

"What happened back at the rental house?" He skipped the small talk; getting straight to the point, looking closely at us. Nina frowned a little, narrowing her eyes further at the man.

"My parents and I were about to have dinner, and then Itachi Uchiha appeared, cutting down both my Mom—Ayu—and my Dad—Kitski. He didn't want to kill me, rather to take me back with him…" She reported grimly, bright-yet-dangerously-dark eyes locked in his stoic ones.

"Back where?" He pried further, staring back at her.

"To the Akatsuki base," She almost hissed the words, growing angrier by the question. Her answer, although, caught him off guard—but I was confused.

'_The Akatsuki?'_ I thought to myself, _'What's that?'_

"So what happened after that bit," Kakashi pressed, regaining his composure.

"He was about to take me, but Naruto came and held him off…" She looked over at me, her sapphire eyes softening, "I passed out, though… I don't know exactly what happened." The Jonin directed his gaze towards me.

"What happened after she passed out?"

"I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. He would've taken Nina if his blue friend didn't come along," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I think he was his partner in crime or something."

"Blue?" Nina asked, turning to me again, "Did he look like a fish—or rather did he have a big sword on his back?"

I nodded, "Yeah, it was huge."

"That must've been…" She trailed off, looking out in the distance before her gaze turned cold, "What did he… That little—" She yelled out in frustration, standing and walking over to the stairs.

"He's playing with my head!" She cried out, fisting her hair, "That sick, twisted _man_!" Kakashi looked shocked, as did I. She squatted down into a crouch, burying her fingers in her blonde locks as she rocked back and forth.

'_What is she going on about?'_ I wondered, cautiously walking over to her. I reached out, placing my hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we need to get you back in bed."

Sasuke

Why did Itachi want to take Nina? Why did he kill her parents? All these confusing questions pilled up in my head, only causing me to glare harder. Nina was my friend, and Itachi's as well, when we were younger, but that was it…

What purpose did he have with the Umari family?

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto called me back to reality, "Can you take Nina back to her room?" Nina, I noticed, was crouched a few feet beside me, eyes screwed shut in pain and anger.

"Sure," I answered, standing to walk over to the said kunoichi. "Nina, stand up…" Cold, cerulean eyes glanced up at me, hatred and frustration seeping through them to mine.

I didn't show any emotion, letting her stand by herself. She seemed different, from kind and energetic to cold and quiet. How confusing. She linked arms with me, letting me take most of her weight as we staggered over to the stairs.

"I'll be back in a second, Nina," Naruto called out to her, and she looked over to him and flashed a smile. But once we were inside the building, the smile melted off her lips, a small scowl gracing her features.

"Sasuke," She said, glancing over to me, "What happened to you?"

"I was just to ask you that question," A smirk twitched at my lips, "What's got you in a bad mood?"

"I'm having trouble in life…" She answered, staring forward with a strange, melancholy look. "Some people I used to know are messing with me, and I can't stand it…"

"You knew the people trying to capture you?" I looked at her in shock, although she said nothing more. So we trudged on into the hospital.

"_Kitski, it's been a long time," My father greeted the stranger, "How've you been with your journeys?"_

"_Same old, same old," The man laughed, "Although Nina here has grown a lot, and she's starting to get very smart…"_

_I looked at the young blonde that stood beside the man, her cerulean eyes meeting mine. She waved a little, smiling._

"_Nina, go ahead and play with Sasuke," The women beside her said, "And try not to get into trouble."_

"_Sasuke, this is Nina," My own mother bent down to me, "She's going to visit us for a while, seeing her parents are going to train with your father."_

_I nodded, whisking the blonde out the door as the adults talked._

"_So you're Sasuke?" She inquired curiously, looking at me with big blue eyes._

"_Yeah," I answered, "And you're Nina." She nodded, looking at me closely._

"_Do you want to go to the training grounds?" I asked, earning a surprised look from the girl._

"_You have your own training grounds?" She looked somewhat star-struck—more or less, "Are you going to be a ninja?"_

_I nodded; my smirk a little smug, "Best in my class. Want to spar?" She smirked back at me._

"_Prepare to lose," She warned._

"_Think again."_

* * *


	6. Chapter 6 You're Moving In

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**C H A P T E R S I X**

|You're Moving In|

* * *

Naruto

I rounded the corner, my eyes brightening when the Hokage's Tower came into view. Strolling in from the entrance, I put in a word to the assistant at the desk to see the notorious leader of the Leaf.

She stood and led me to the office door. A soft tap on the door accompanied with a few words and I was let inside. A smile played my lips, seeing the Old Man again.

Papers were haphazardly scattered across his desk, most of them in tall stacks. The afternoon sun was filtering through the large windows that were installed behind the said desk, and every other step forwards was greeted with a blinding ray of light.

"Old Man!" I replied, meeting his weary eyes, "I need to talk to you!" The man smiled back, his eyes crinkling.

"Yes, Naruto," He chuckled lightly, "Go on, my son. What is it you wish to speak of?"

"Nina Umari!" I answered enthusiastically, "She needs a place to live, and I am willing to let her bunk with me!" He arched an eyebrow, barely seen from under his hat.

"Isn't she in the hospital?" He inquired. I nodded in response.

"I actually haven't told her yet, and I need to get something to eat for us…" I explained, "I really need that permission, Old Man." The smile that had graced his features slipped into a smirk—not like Sasuke's smirk, more of a I've-got-you-cornered smirk.

"You have my permission, under one condition," Once the words left his mouth, I was bound by the wrists with my scarred cheek pressed against the floor. "You need to have the Hokage Faces cleared of all graffiti by time I wake tomorrow."

"W—what?!" I exclaimed, trying not to drool on his floor, "But—when exactly is that?"

"Six o'clock, my boy," His smirk was an almost victorious smile now, "But that shouldn't be any trouble for you, now is it?" I attempted to shake my head no, but it was a little hard when you're face is in contact with the floor.

'_Oh, come on,'_ I thought, my inner Naruto crying comical waterfalls of tears, "No, sir," I answered aloud. He nodded to his shinobi that had me on the floor, who cut the bounds on my wrists and helped me up from my position against the floor.

"Now, you may go, my son," He said, intertwining his hands, "Can't keep a girl waiting, can we?" I bowed, trying not to provoke any other punishments, and bolted out the door without a word for the assistant at the desk.

* * *

"I'm telling you; she's not my girlfriend!" I shouted, not caring if I disturbed the peace outside the ramen shop.

"It's okay, Naruto," Ayame, the chef's daughter and waitress, giggled, "We believe you, don't worry."

"Here you go, son," Teuchi, the chef, placed a large paper bag on the counter before me, "Five pork ramen, to go!" I smiled, but the fox-like grin disappeared as I searched for the needed money in exchange for the mouth-watering, steaming hot ramen that sat teasingly two inches from my face.

"I know I've got—"

"No, no, Naruto," The man smiled, his crow's feet crinkling, "It's on the house!" His daughter grinned happily beside her father.

"Hurry along so it doesn't get cold!" She urged, holding her arms behind her back. I stood, bowing lowly so that my blonde locks barely grazed the counter.

"Arigato gozaimasu!" I thanked, hastily scooping up the bagged ramen and running out the door before either of the two could respond.

'_She's gonna be so happy,'_ I thought excitedly, grinning like a fool as I made my way back to the hospital. The aroma of the fresh ramen assaulted my nose, and my mouth started to water. _'Let's hope I don't devour all of it before I get there, though…'_

Nina

"Nina," Naruto's voice was heard through the door, "I brought ramen!" My angst-like mood melted at the thought of my beloved food, and before I knew it, I was gobbling down mouthfuls at a time.

Sasuke watched from the sidelines with a disarmed expression, and Naruto obviously didn't know why the said Uchiha was still present.

"Unless you want some, you can go," Naruto "subtly" dismissed the brooding teen.

The only response from the raven was a low "hn", which didn't mean much if you really think about it—it's just something to say when you don't like to converse with others. (Why am I speaking the obvious?)

After that I was unaware of anything else but the ramen that I shoveled into my mouth. I heard a slam of a door, and I assumed Naruto had done that "accidently".

Like I cared; I had ramen. Ramen that was slowly vanishing—I was reaching for another cup of Heaven in a blink, but Naruto withdrew the bag.

"You're not finishing this whole bag while I sit here and watch you eat," He smirked, plucking up his own cup, "I'm just as hungry as you!"

I rolled my azure eyes, snatching the second-to-last cup from the paper bag. "You're lucky I'm nice, or I would've done just that," I remarked, digging in with my chopsticks in hand.

A few minutes—more like seconds—later and we were groping around at the bottom of the bag for the last cup. Grasping it first, I smirked in victory and stuffed my mouth.

"Hey!" The blonde fumed, reaching for the ramen, "Not fair; I paid, I should get the last one!"

"Too slow, my friend," I managed between bites, "Maybe next time." He growled, pouncing on me before I could evade. I winced from the pain that the tackle gave me, my back screaming, and I didn't have the chance to guard my treasure. The delicious ramen cup was soon ripped from my hands.

"Hey!"

"Ha, look who's slow now," He laughed, gulping down more of the noodles. Infuriated, I threw my pair of chopsticks at his tanned face, catching him off guard, and pushed him off the side of my bed. The cup went flying, and I snatched it from the air and out of his reach as I retrieved my eating utensils.

This resulted with a pout and big, blue eyes staring up at me from the side of the bed. I risked a glance, soon regretting looking at him.

"Alright," I groaned in defeat, "I'll share…"

I scooted to the side, letting him sit beside me as I poured half of the remaining ramen into one of his empty cups. He thanked me before he was lost in his ramen.

"So, what's up?" I inquired, giving him a sidelong look. The question dragged him out of his ramen-filled-daze, and he swallowed quickly.

"Well, when I was out, I asked Old Man Hokage if you could possibly…" He hesitated, "Move in with me…"

"Cool," I smiled briefly before frowning disappointedly at my empty cup. "So once I'm out of this place, I can bunk with you and your parents?" I tossed the ramen cup into the trash before looking back at the blonde beside me. Obviously, that was the wrong question; his bright eyes dimmed sadly, and he looked down at his hands.

"Oh…" I murmured, taking the hint, "So… Just you and me then?" It wasn't really a questioned, since I didn't bother to give the question-tone. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's okay, you would've figure it out some time…" He pulled a strained smile, his eyes still dark. An awkward silence settled as we avoided each other's line of sight.

"Oh, yeah!" He exclaimed suddenly, "That old geezer told me I'd have to clean up that mess I made of the Hokage Faces tomorrow! I have to finish by six!"

"I can help, you know," I put in as he pulled at his golden locks, "I get up pretty early, anyway."

"No, you really shouldn't," He drawled, looking at me with his worried blue eyes, "You should be staying in bed."

"But the doc said I could go by noon time tomorrow! I'll just slip out before they can catch me!" I assured him, clasping my hands together in a begging gesture, "Please, I wanna help!"

He rolled his eyes, "Alright, gosh," He gave in, "You better wake me up as early as you do! I did some damage up there!"

I yawned, "What time is it?" I drawled sleepily instead of the original wise-crack I'd wanted to say, but found myself too sleepy. He yawned in a chain reaction to my yawn, looking to the clock.

"It's nine-twenty-six," He answered. He said something else, but I was too tired to listen as I fell asleep.

"G'night," I murmured as I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Sorry for the wait, my fans, my computer died. This new baby is its replacement, and luckily my dad was smart enough to back up all my files. I'll miss that dinosaur of a computer; I grew up with it… It was probably _older_ than I was…

This one's so fast, it's freaking me out! It's so nice and clean and shiny—well, it's more black than shiny, but it's shiny as in "new"… Yeah, you catch my drift.

Anywho, I hope you liked it! It's pretty short, but I'm tired. Live with it.


	7. Chapter 7 Insane

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**C H A P T E R S E V E N**

|Insane|

* * *

Nina

An annoyed frown twitched at my pursed lips, my eyelids fluttering open. The sun blinded me, and I flinched as the light flooded my senses briefly.

I sat up, rubbing the sand from my eyes as I ran a hand through my hair. Sighing quietly, I looked over to the clock that sat silently on the nightstand. An energetic smile spread across my lips.

"Three-fifteen?!" I laughed, the other blonde beside me stirring. "That's a record-breaker!"

"Wha~" Naruto moaned, his cerulean eyes glazed and half-lidded. He had last night's ramen cup over his face, and as he sat up if fell off, leaving a noodle hanging off the tip of his nose.

I broke down in hysterics like I had in the Academy, leaning back a bit too much and sliding off the bed. I gave a pained screech as I landed on my bruised back.

Naruto

"Are you okay?!" I replied, looking down at her from the side of the bed. She nodded hurriedly as she pushed herself off the ground by her elbows.

"C'mon, we gotta get dressed so we can get out to the Hokage Faces…" Nina replied, grabbing my hand I offered her. "We have about three hours, so we have to use our time wisely."

"Yeah, yeah, three hours—wait, what?!" I exclaimed, looking to the clock as Nina pulled herself up. I groaned at the angry red numbers. "Three in the morning?!"

"No," She smirked, pushing me to the side of the bed, "It's three-seventeen in the morning—now go get dressed!"

"Alright, I'm going!" I scrambled into the bathroom, snatching my clothes before shutting the door. I pulled off my wrinkled tank top I'd slept in, stepping out of my sweats as I did so.

Bare-chested and clad in green boxers, I leant on my hands that held the edge of the sink. I flicked the noodle off my face before staring into my reflection, gnawing on my lip.

I turned on the sink, washing my face of the dried ramen broth that had been neglected to be dealt with the night before. Turning off the water, I set my hands back on the edge of the sink as I stared into my blue eyes again.

Then my hands slipped.

_Crash!_

Nina

Pulling off the orange top from yesterday, I looked to my suitcase on the table to the front of the room. I tossed the dirty shirt into the bag, stepping carefully out of my jeans.

Now left in my undergarments, I snatched up a different shirt, this one a darker shade of orange with fishnet sleeves. I pulled out a grey pair of jeans, setting both articles of cloth to the side as I dug into my suitcase.

"_Oh, no,"_ I thought, noticing I was out of clean underwear. I blushed, looking over to Naruto's pile of clean clothing. Glancing over to the bathroom door, I scurried over to pluck out a pair of black boxers that sat conveniently on top of the pile.

"_So this is how it feels to wear these things…"_ I thought, pulling them up quickly. I caught a look at my back in the mirror, an angry bruise still colored my skin. Sighing, I grabbed my shirt, shoving my arm through the fishnet sleeve.

That's when I heard a crash from the bathroom, a line of swears following. I hurried over and pressed my ear to the door, knocking with the hand that was sticking out the shirt.

"Naruto, are you alright?!" That's a stupid question, from those colorful choices of words I just heard, you would've thought he was dying.

"Yeah… I just slipped…" He groaned, the doorknob rattling when he grabbed it to pull himself up.

Bad mistake. With a twist of his wrist, the door opened wide and I went falling down on top of the disoriented blonde.

It didn't take us too long to figure out we were mostly naked, tangled together, and on the floor.

For a moment, I disappeared into my mind, were I was panicking.

_This is how all those love stories I read start out, but this is my life! This was definitely not supposed to happen. And this was __**Naruto**__! I had no feelings for him like that what so ever!_

_Dattebayo!_

Naruto

We both blushed, Nina scrambling to her feet as she sputtered apologies. I just sat there, my face a tomato red, as she shut the bathroom door.

Was she wearing my boxers? I shrugged; she looked a lot better in them then I did.

I pushed myself up, pulling on my clothes absentmindedly as I muttered to myself. What was worse, I remembered that we had slept in the same bed that night, and my blush came back fully. I groaned, buttoning my orange pants as I stepped towards the door.

The blonde kunoichi stood there, a tad flush lingering on her cheeks. Her arms were crossed, and she was now fully clothed. Fishnet covered her arms ending at her shoulders where a dark orange tank top that showed many of her curves started. Her legs were clad in grey jeans, slightly baggy for her stature. Her kunai-holster was clasped to her right thigh, her weapon bag on the same side but towards the back.

"You're right handed?" I asked, walking out the hospital door calmly; as if nothing had happened. She nodded, letting her crossed arms to fall to her sides.

"Most people are, so it isn't that special." She stated, but I shrugged.

"I'm right handed as well, is all," I smiled brightly, placing my hands behind my head. "I just thought that was cool." We continued down the hall in an awkward silence.

Arriving at the first floor, we found ourselves looking around the checkout counter. But it was surprisingly empty, and I turned to Nina.

"I don't think anyone is going to be here for a while, Nina," I stated, looking up at the clock nervously. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, we'll just check out later…" She replied, grabbing my arm, "We need to get working over there at the cliff, Naruto, c'mon!"

* * *

"Alright, Nina!" I hollered down from the platform, hanging dangerously high. She smiled up at me, grasping the bucket with two hands. Spinning around, she chucked the bucket up towards me.

"Catch it, Naruto!" She yelled, watching the bucket flip and start to fall towards the platform. Holding out my arms, I let it fall into my hands, swinging it around and setting it safely onto the platform.

"Whoa," I gasped, looking down at the blonde from above, "How d'ya do _that_?!" She smiled up at me, eyes closed.

"I put some extra chakra in that throw," She shouted, stepping firmly on the cliff's rocky side. "It worked wonderfully, don't ya think?"

I nodded, watching her carefully as she ran up the rock wall, jumping down to the platform with me.

"That throw was awesome, you gotta show me how to do that!" I exclaimed, grasping a soapy sponge. "I'm mean, that was just—whoa…"

She smiled a toothy smile yet again, "Thank you, Naru-chan." I gave her a warning look, a slight pout forming my lips.

"What?"

"Don't call me Naru-chan."

She smirked, "Well, jeez, I was just being nice…" She grabbed her own sponge, scrubbing at the graffiti on the wall in front of us. With that done, she stopped briefly to look up at the faces before us.

"Humph," She crossed her arms, her sponge dripping from her hand. "C'mon, we gotta get up there!" Before I could blink, she had stepped off the platform and onto the rocky wall.

"Nina!" I called, but it was useless. She jumped up high, landing gracefully on the nose of the first Hokage. She urged me forward, but I was definitely not as graceful as the other blonde.

I had to climb up, klutzily slipping and almost falling a few times. Finally making it to the nose of the famous founder of Konoha, I was ready to strangle the blonde kunoichi.

"Nina!" I replied, "You're _insane_!" She smile as if it were a compliment, still scrubbing at the graffiti.

"Naru-chan, we're both insane!" She laughed, "You followed me!" It wasn't too long before I was laughing as well.

"Yeah," I sighed, "We are, aren't we?"

* * *

Gomen nasai my beloved fans! I have been neglecting my work for a long time, but now that summer's here, I have nothing better to do than re-write the chapters... By the way, sorry that it's short, and it's kinda like a filler... Well, not really, but there's almost nothing really important...

Oh, and the bathroom scene was just because I wanted something fun in here... No feelings will be forming later on, just to warn you. Well, R&R my fans!


	8. Chapter 8 Saved By The Bell, Or Not! 1:2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of Kishimoto-sama's characters. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. NOT A LOVE STORY!

* * *

**C H A P T E R E I G H T**

|Saved By The Bell—Or Not! Part One|

* * *

Naruto

She took the sponge and dunked it in the soapy water. She splat it on the colored nose and scrubbed like there was no tomorrow. I watched, making a face at the concept of cleaning.

"Naruto, don't make me do this by myself!" The blonde kunoichi replied, concentrating on the task. "This is your mess, help clean it!" Scrambling to the bucket, I soaked my own sponge and turned to the cliff. Sparring a glance towards Nina, I copied her ministrations, scrubbing the sculpted rocks slowly.

"Naru-chan, you gotta hurry!" She complained, motivation flowing through her as she sped up.

"You're cleaning fast enough for the both of us," I retorted, glaring at the sponge. "And haven't I already said to stop calling me that?!" She groaned, somehow increasing her speed.

"Wow, Naru-chan," She started, frowning cutely, "You aren't that nice to your friends, are you?" That hit a bit close to home. "Making me do all the work, eh?" A spark of determination lit my eyes, and I pushed harder on the sponge.

"I'll show you how good a friend I am!" I exclaimed, "I'll clean this thing in a jiffy!"

* * *

After what seemed to take forever, we had cleaned the worst of the faces. Yet, we still had three others to take care of. I moaned, rubbing my sore arms as I gazed up wearily at the cliff.

"Whoa," Nina muttered, a slight pant in her breath.

"My arms, Nina…" I whined, frowning, "They huuuurrt!" She rolled her eyes, shifting off of her knees to face me.

"Come oooonn, Naruto!" She whined back, "Just… Think of it as training!" I rolled my eyes, setting my hands on my hips as I sized up the faces.

"How is this compared to training?" I questioned, doubt showing in my azure eyes. She smirked, stepping back as she readied her hands.

"It's just like a giant target," She replied, combining some of the basic hand signs before she paused. "But the bigger they are, the harder they fall. So, you've gotta use big jutsu!"

"What?" I raised a blonde eyebrow, letting the hands resting on my hips fall to my side. "What kinda jutsu is big enough for _this_?!"

Her smirk grew, her eyes growing narrow as she stepped back from the wall of rocks. She finished her seals, holding it up towards the cliff.

"Water Eagle no Jutsu!" She called out, eyes narrowing further as she shouted, "Borrowed!"

Jumping back to the platform, Nina and I watched as water formed from thin air. As it gathered and grew larger—larger than the faces—it started to shape itself into a winged creature. It was a little more hostile looking than your average eagle, but that gave it the "dangerous jutsu" look to it.

I couldn't help but gape in awe, watching the bird of water beat its liquid wings, flying up towards the sun. Hovering for a moment, it tilted forward, descending from the Heavens, back down to earth. I looked over to Nina, seeing that she was carefully steering the eagle towards the rocks.

Her eyes were still narrow, which was a little strange, and her hands still in her last seal. Her smirk twitched, and I spun around to find the eagle slowing; crashing down into the wall with great force.

~SPLASH~

And that was it. All the paint was gone. The paint and water all ran down to the earth beneath us, leaving the cliff spot-free. The blonde turned to me, smiling toothily at her accomplishment. I still stood with my mouth agape.

"Pffftt…" She stifled a laugh, covering her mouth as she peered at my expression. I turned to the teen when she started laughing, flailing my arms comically.

"Wh—how—bu—Whaaaa?!"

New found laughter filled the air, a crow flying over head.

"Baaaa~kaaa~" It crowed, "Baaaaa~kaaa~"

* * *

Nina

I felt like that guy Naruto mentioned, Shikamaru; looking up at the clouds as we walked. Fortunately, the Hokage was satisfied with our work, and let us go without a word. All we had to worry about now was arriving at the training grounds in time.

"Hey, Nina?" I looked to the side, my head still tilted up towards the sky. "Back at the cliff, when you did that awesome bird jutsu… Why did you say "borrowed" after you called out the jutsu?" With that I raised my eyebrows, opening my mouth in surprise.

"I said borrowed?" I uttered in slight fear, looking like a deer caught in head lights. He only nodded, wonder in his eyes. "I'll tell you why… Just not now; it's nothing, really…" He hummed in understanding, looking forward once again. A smile broke out across his face as he found Sakura and Sasuke up ahead.

Surprisingly enough, Kakashi-sensei stood adjacent to the genin, not like I had expected.

"Hey, guys!" He shouted, waving frantically as if they wouldn't notice him if he didn't. "Over here!" I caught a glimpse of Sakura's eyes roll, annoyance showing in her expression. With this I frowned disapprovingly; couldn't she see Naruto was a nice guy?

"Idiot, we can see you," She assured with a small scowl. "Be quiet already!" The excited blonde's toothy grin faltered, a sad look in his lapis eyes, and he let his raised hand fall to his side. I only observed, noting the cold welcome Sasuke gave off. Neither of us said a word, but Sakura seemed like she could say anything.

"Both of you are late!" She exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger towards us. "Kakashi was late by two hours, but even _he_ got here earlier than the two of you!"

"What?!" The loud boy shouted, "We can't be late!"

…

"Wait, how does that work?" I asked, looking over to Naruto. "Didn't we wake up around three?" He looked up at the sky, placing his thumb and fore finger on his chin in the stereotype thinking position.

"Yeah, and Old Man Hokage said he woke up around six, so we had to finish before that…" He stated, agreeing as he pondered. "But we were instructed to arrive here at the training grounds at six, also… Right?"

"Yes," The silver haired man responded, pocketing his gloved hands. "But you two arrived around eight fifteen."

"Then… If we finished cleaning in time—before six—how did we end up two hours late?" Naruto replied, facing me as if I had all the answers.

"Uh… E=mc²?" I tried, holding up my hands—palm to the sky—as I shrugged. "We didn't do anything after seeing the Hokage… Did we?" He shook his head no, shrugging his shoulders as well.

"Hey, the Old Man probably gave us a break and slept in for two hours!" He exclaimed, plopping his fist into his palm in enlightenment.

"Alright, enough with the chatter," Kakashi silenced us as he walked over to a conveniently placed tree stump. He set a large clock on top of the wood and adjusted the settings until the alarm hand was pointing straight up at the twelve. "There, it's set."

I didn't refrain from giving the grey man an odd look. "Are we going to run laps or something, Kakashi-sensei?" I couldn't tell if he was frowning or smirking at me under that mask of his, but his eyes glinted.

"No, but you'll wish we were." He answered smugly, crossing his arms comfortably. "This exercise is much more important. See these bells?" I watched the silver objects dangle in the air as he pulled them out of his weapons bag. "You're going to have to retrieve one of these three from me—"

"How are we all going to pass this if there's only three bells, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura piped up, asking the questions we were all worried about.

"When the last bell is swiped, we'll determine who stays and who goes." The answer made my jaw drop. "Whomever doesn't get a bell goes back to the academy."

"What?!" We all shouted at the man, even Sasuke.

"None of you are really genin," The teacher figure said, eyeing each of us carefully. "The teachers at the academy lied to you, the test you all passed—well, most of you—" Nina and I received a stern look. "—was just to place you all into teams and to determine if you had even a slight chance to really become ninja."

"How could you say that?!" I turned to look at Nina. Her nose and cheeks were tinted red in anger, as were her ears. She glared up at the graying man before us. "Each one of us worked hard for years to become what we are now. Not one of us deserves to go back there and learn everything again after getting this far!" Her words didn't seem to affect the strange teacher, but she didn't stop there. "How do you expect four genin to come at a full blown Jonin? That can't be right—maybe if it was only to test our skills and not to determine who is the weakest link and who should get shoved back into class!"

I could tell she wanted to say more, but something also told me that she couldn't say anything to follow her spiel without being suspended.

Kakashi took his time to reply. "First, I'm the one who makes the rules when I'm teaching you. You don't get to do what you want. I know that you've all trained hard, but that is no excuse. This is serious stuff, and I'm going to let some students become genin without testing them myself. You have wasted five minutes of your time. Are we finished rebelling?"

Silence followed, as well as a pair of glares towards the man.

"Those weapons are too dangerous!" Sakura spoke out, worry laced in her words.

"Yeah, seeing as you couldn't even dodge an eraser trap!" I added with slight triumph in my tone. His dark eyes set on my own pair, looking dully as he explained.

"Class clowns are to be ignored. They are the weaklings of the class; low scores, losers…" He said, each insult angering me that much more.

'_Low scores?! Losers?!"_ That was it. I grabbed my kunai and lunged.

Sasuke

Nina's speech would have been impressive if it had done anything to affect our new teacher. I could see how much she respected all of us, even if Naruto had barely gotten in, and if Sakura seemed too girly and weak to be called a Kunoichi. I watched her carefully as she told Kakashi off. His reply shot her down, and I could see the earlier flush of rage turn to an embarrassed blush.

I would have sympathized with her, but that's for weaklings. Sakura spoke again, going on about dangerous weapons, and Naruto tossed in an insult—maybe to back Nina up a bit—but Kakashi wasn't fazed.

Before we knew it, Kakashi wiped out a few insults of his own. Naruto reacted as expected.

His lunge was easily blocked by the Jonin, and Naruto found himself twisted so that he was about to sink the kunai in his hand into his back.

"I didn't say go..."

Kakashi didn't release the blonde. Naruto looked stunned.

"Are we done with the protests?" The teacher asked again. No one said a thing. "Good."

"Go!"

* * *

**A/N:**

Sorry it's taken sooooo long to update. I've been working on the original story, and not even on that so much. I've been lazy, and I feel horrible about the wait you're all gonna have to go through again for the ninth chapter!

Remember, the original story is suckish but it's available on Quizilla. My user name is uzumakilover, and the link is on my profile page. Reviews are inspiring, remember that too!


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